What is an investor pitch deck?
An investor pitch deck is a visual presentation that provides an overview of a business or startup to potential investors. It allows you to present your company’s vision and value proposition in an effective manner. It also allows you to describe the problems your business may face, your target audience, business model, financial projections, and other key information that investors may find relevant.
The purpose of an investor pitch deck is to persuade investors to invest in the company by highlighting its strengths, potential for growth, and competitive advantage. It is often used by entrepreneurs and startups seeking funding from venture capitalists and investors. A well-crafted pitch deck can help to capture an investor’s attention and generate interest in the business.
There are a number of best practices that surround creating the perfect pitch deck but the number one rule is that it needs to appeal to executive audiences.
How should you structure your investor pitch deck?
Structuring an investor pitch deck can vary depending on the business and the target audience, but here is a general guideline for a typical investor pitch deck:
Introduction
Start with a brief introduction about your company, the problem you are solving, and your unique value proposition.
Market Opportunity
Describe the opportunity and size of the market you are targeting. Provide data and statistics to support your claims.
Business Model
Explain how your business makes money and how you plan to generate revenue in the future. Include information about your pricing strategy, sales channels, and customer acquisition.
Product or Service
Describe your product or service in detail. Highlight its key features, benefits, and how it solves the problem you identified in the market.
Competitive Landscape
Analyze your competition and show how your product or service is different and better than what is already available in the market.
Marketing and Sales Strategy
Outline your marketing and sales strategy. Include details about your target audience, customer acquisition strategy, and how you plan to reach your customers.
Financial Projections
Show your financial projections for the next 3-5 years. Include your revenue, expenses, and cash flow projections. Explain your assumptions and highlight key metrics.
Team
Introduce your team and highlight their relevant experience. Include information about your advisory board and any notable partnerships.
Funding Ask
Clearly state your funding ask and explain how you plan to use the funds. Include details about the terms of the investment.
Closing
End with a summary of your pitch and a clear call to action. Thank the investors for their time and provide your contact information.
Remember, your pitch deck should be concise, visually appealing, and easy to follow. Avoid using financial jargon and technical terms that might be unfamiliar to your audience. Practice your pitch beforehand to ensure you can deliver it confidently and effectively.
What’s in our investor pitch deck template download?
Our free template includes all of the elements that make a pitch deck successful, and can be used within Microsoft Powerpoint, Google Slides, or within presentation tools.
Free pitch deck template download
Enter your email address and have your template delivered to you for free.
Example pitch deck templates
Whether you plan to use it to start, grow, or exit your business, having an up to date pitch deck is crucial. While we’ve mentioned the general format of a pitch deck, here are some examples from companies who have leveraged their pitch decks effectively. Before you get started, see our ten best pitch decks.
As arguably one of the most visible companies in the world, Facebook was first invested in by an outside investor back in 2004. Peter Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist and entrepreneur, gave Mark Zuckerberg $500,000 to turn his idea into a sustainable business.
While over the general limit of 20 slides, the key takeaway from Facebook’s pitch deck is that it focuses on the numbers. By placing emphasis on figures relating to user traffic, engagement, and growth trajectory, the pitch deck slides will back its claims up with data.
Airbnb
Airbnb is considered to be one of the best startup stories of our age. Their pitch deck is referenced across the internet and is a common reference for entrepreneurs.
This investor-ready pitch deck instantly hooks audiences with the introduction. Airbnb describes its business using as few words as possible.
Square
Square’s investor pitch deck shows the value of using social proof. They place emphasis on their team’s background because of their time at big-name companies like Twitter, Google, Linkedin, Paypal, and more. This pitch deck outlines Square’s business model as well as their simple financial model and portrays its annual revenue and five-year growth rate.
Uber
While considered far from impressive, Uber’s pitch deck success came from its ability to showcase their solution to a very real problem in the market. They were able to articulate the problem in a few short sentences using everyday words before presenting a no-nonsense solution.
Download a free basic pitch deck template
An effective pitch deck template should allow you to fully customise it to suit your company’s needs. Generally speaking, a template should contain minimalist aesthetics to make the content the focal point. We’ve taken note of the elements that make a successful pitch deck and have created an investor pitch deck template for you to download now. Simply enter your email address above and have your template delivered to you for free.
While we encourage you to download the profit and loss template, Brixx can do more to help business owners effectively map out their financial future.
Brixx is a financial forecasting software that uses simple inputs to help forecast financial statements up to 10 years into the future. All the reports and charts generate simultaneously which is a serious time saver.
Investor Pitch Deck FAQs
What should I include in my pitch deck?
Your pitch deck should contain key information about about your business, such as:
- A brief introduction to your company and its goals
- The problem your business is aiming to solve, and why your solution is best (your unique value proposition)
- The market opportunity, with supporting data
- Your business model and how you’ll generate income, alongside financial projections
- A compelling conclusion with strong next steps and clear funding asks
How do I adapt this pitch deck template for different audiences?
When tailoring your pitch deck for specific audiences, focus on what matters most to them. With investors, you will want to emphasize your financial projections, alongside market opportunity and ROI. For partners, you will want to show the collaborative benefits. For customers, you’ll want to show how your product or service solves their problems the best.
The Brixx template is flexible and easy, allowing you to adjust your slides based on audience priority.
Do I need design experience to use this template?
Not at all! Our pitch deck template is user-friendly and compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, and other presentation tools. It comes with pre-designed slides and placeholders to help you focus on content, not design.
Can I add custom branding to the template?
Yes! Customising this template is easy. Add your company’s logo, adjust colours, and use your preferred fonts to make it uniquely yours.
Is the template suitable for startups of all sizes?
This template works well for all sizes of business. With a solid foundation, you can modify easily to suit your business stage and objectives.
How does Brixx help with financial projections in my pitch deck?
Brixx simplifies financial forecasting with intuitive features that let you forecast revenue, expenses, and cash flow for up to 10 years. All your financial reports and charts generate simultaneously, saving you time and ensuring accuracy.
